THE PRIZE TULIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 263, 5 November 1932, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE PRIZE TULIP.

The two children eyed Jan's little garden plot, with the-one flaming tulip standing straight as a soldier among the green leaves. "It is .indeed a most beautiful tulip," exclaimed Gratchen. ' "I will show iriy tulip at school, and it will ihiftst certainly win the first prize," said Jiui - proudly. It was a perfect tulip. Jan's father had said so, and. being a bulb farmer, he knew all about these things. "If we jiao a, garden we might grow one like that too," sighed Tilly. Tilly and Gretchen were playmates of Jan's, but their parents were poor, and they iivec't in a tumbled-down house in an old cobbled street where not even a blade of grass offered to raise its hrad. One day when Jan was tending his red tulip' Tilly aijd Gretchen came slowly up the gardqi path. "To-morrow „I will show my tulip," cried Jan excitedly. "To'-morrow it will be ,at its best." And then he noticed the sad faces of his companions. "Our mother is very ill," said Gretchen. "How a bright flower like that would cheer her dull room!" After they had gone Jan thought over their words. He thought of all the things he could do to bring back the smiles to their faces, but there was nothing but the bright red tulip. Then Jan did a'very brave thing, he plucked his one perfect tulip and ran down the garden path aftei the sisters. They hadn't got very far. Jan could hear the clatter of their little clogs. No one was to know of the funny lump in Jan's throat when he thrust his prized flower into Gretclien's hands, but when lie saw the smiles creep back to their faces he quite forgot the prize he might have won.